How to best tackle MK with a baby

[AussieAngel]

Hi all!

So DH and I are heading back to WDW in October... But this time, with our new little baby boy!

He'll be 7 months old by then and I can't wait to introduce him to all things Disney! I know he won't remember his first trip to WDW, but I'm sure he'll still have fun!

In the past, it's been DH and I going commando style all the way through the parks. This time, of course, will be different! I think I know where to start in other parks, but I'm not sure what to do about Magic Kingdom. Clearly Fantasyland has lots of lovely rides for little ones, but is that the best place to go first thing in the morning?

DH and I still plan to do some of the bigger rides (Splash Mountain, etc) - should we get fastpasses first or go straight to Fantasyland?

(I'm sure whatever I plan will get blown out the window with feeds, changes, etc... But it's nice to have some sort of idea before we go!)

Really I'm just wondering how others tackle MK, if you've had a baby with you. I love hearing other people's ideas and opinions!

 

[Robo]

How to best tackle MK with a baby

First-

Make SURE the baby is wearing his HELMET.

 

[AussieAngel]

First-

Make SURE the baby is wearing his HELMET.

Hehee, indeed!

Is that an Aussie expression? Oops...

 

[Robo]

Hehee, indeed!

Is that an Aussie expression? Oops...

Americans use the phrase "tackle this or that" the same way.

I just thought it was a funny visual idea connected with "baby."

 

[paintnolish]

We took ds when he was 5 months. We were, in the past, commando park goers, seeing and doing everything, but not this time. Be prepared to slow down and not get on every ride and see every show. use the baby care centers, especially if you are near them. With only one per park, you might not always be near one when the baby needs to eat or be changed, but if you are, stop in. Also, don't forget to use child swap. Oh, and baby carriers are handy, if your back can take it. If the baby falls asleep, you can still go on quiet rides or into shows with him. Otherwise, you're stuck with the little one in the stroller.
Good luck and have fun!

 

[agavegirl1]

The only time I went to WDW with a baby, I brought my mother in law who didn't do rides. Worked really well! But if you can't, I agree with the PP on the baby care centers. If you're near one, use it and be prepared to lose the "commando" for a little while.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Do what MOST parents with small kids do.
. . . rent a stroller
. . . load child into stroller
. . . load sundries into stroller
. . . grab the stroller handle with both hands
. . . lower your head below your shoulders
. . . close your eyes
. . . push stroller briskly
. . . just look back every now and then, and utter the word "sorry"
. . . especially to those on the ground
. . . works like a champ





.

 

[paintnolish]

Yeah, well if someone suddenly comes to a complete stop in the middle of a walkway, you might bump into them. And, if you happened to be pushing a stroller, that might bump into them. I've bumped my stroller into people few times over the years and always offer an immediate and sincere apology. People have bumped into me, stepped on my feet, and most recently, a child spilled a drink on my feet during the PoTC que. As long as the person isn't being an obnoxious jerk, and whatever occurred was truly an accident, no big deal.

 

[DanieD0909]

Hi! My little one just turned 9 months. We took her at 3 months, 5 months, 7 months. Each time was so different! We used to be the same way...commando style.
Here are my recommendations....
1. If you stay until after the fireworks and the park is closing at the same time...there will obviously be a ton of people leaving, right? Do not leave your little one in the stroller...oh my word...it was so scary...people almost fell on her, one person tripped into us and their drink went flying, popcorn fell on her... It was crazy...we finally were able to get to a clearing to stop pull her out to carry her and then we folded up the stroller and carried that...insanity!
2. Pick one or two things each day that are your must dos. For me, it was ride small world and meet mickey one day...don't overplan or you will definitely be disappointed
3. Rocking chairs on main st in front of Tony's are an awesome place for feeding! As is riding the railroad around the park...we stayed on for three loops so she could nap!
4. Try to take a break in the afternoon
5. My kid decided to have her top two teeth come through while at mk...talk about tears...she was in so much pain...ugh...bring Tylenol!
6. My little one was also eating some table food at the time...she loves shredded cheese...at pecos bills they have a condiment bar for taco salads with shredded cheese on it if you need a quick snack
7. Bring extra diapers...seriously...one night we went to mk from 2-10...somehow we went through 8 diapers and I ran out...
8. Same thing goes for puffs if your little one is eating them...double what you normally would pack
9. Bring extra changes of clothes. Not just for spills but I purposely changed her outfit halfway through the time we were there and she was so refreshed... I'm sure babies feel twice as hot and sticky as we do because we are holding and touching them all day!
10. I know some people swear by the baby centers...I never used them...they were always in the most inconvenient area from where we were when we needed them!! There was no way I would trek back across the park to use them!
11. As for whether to do fantasyland first or to get fast passes/ ride your rides....this is what we did...is she awake? Ok let's go on small world/pooh/etc...is she asleep ok time for pirates/haunted/splash...all three times we found that from getting up, getting bfast, getting to the park, getting in the park...she was then ready for a nap! Every single time we rode one ride...Peter pan once, little mermaid once, etc And then she would fall asleep! Lol!!

Hope this helps you!! I definitely learned a few things by the third time around...it is so different with a baby but is so awesome!! Good luck!!

Ps- sorry this was soooo long!!

 

[AussieAngel]

Thanks for the tips so far! We'll definitely be dropping the commando style, as I pointed out in my first post. We're coming from Australia so certainly won't be bringing my mother-in-law, but will be bringing our small stroller and baby carrier.

Let me ask in a different way... Which rides / attractions would you do in MK first, with a baby?

That's all I meant, really! Didn't intend to start a topic about strollers...

 

[AussieAngel]

Thanks so much, DanieD! What great tips!

 

[mummabear]

Make time for the characters, my favourite memories of Disney with under twos is Chip playing peek a boo with our baby, she just loved it. Re Fantasyland we normally grab a FP for PP or Pooh first thing and then let wait times dictate. We are from NZ and with the kids we don't adjust them much so we arrive near lunch and go to close, Fantasyland is pretty quite at 10pm!
Don't forget to use fastpass then riderswap for the mountains...

 

[dpswift]

I took DS then 11 months on all of the tame rides. We did not have any problems. I was pregnant so all of the rough rides were out anyhow. As PPs have mentioned I did not use the baby care stations. Also if I had a baby now I would use a baby carrier. I took my youngest DS all over in one when he was a baby and it was a life saver.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

my usual tip is to take lots of pictures of baby around parks and on rides, even tough he does not remember trip, he can relive it. my now 8 year old grandson can tell all about his trip when he was 4 months old. he will proudly show you his book and tell you all about the trip.

 

[sb682]

Just go with the flow and see what you feel like seeing. Don't overdo it, because an overstimulated baby will be fussy and grumpy.

Get to the parks in time for rope drop if you can. After that, I would go straight for Fantasyland. Do any of the gentler rides, like Pooh, Dumbo, Peter Pan, IASW, Ariel, etc. I would hit Peter Pan and Pooh first. You should be able to do most of them in the first two hours, depending on naps and feedings. In the afternoon, take it easier. Country Bear Jamboree and Enchanted Tiki Room would be great shows for an infant. Take time to visit with some of the characters. Combine Rider Swap and Fast Pass so you and your husband can ride your favorite rides without waiting in line twice. If you don't want to leave the parks for his naps, put him in the carrier and sit through some quieter shows (Carousel of Progress, Hall of Presidents) or browse the shops while he sleeps.

And take lots of pictures! He won't remember any of it, but you'll have wonderful memories of his first trip to enjoy. Have fun!

 

[bostonminnie]

Thanks for the tips so far! We'll definitely be dropping the commando style, as I pointed out in my first post. We're coming from Australia so certainly won't be bringing my mother-in-law, but will be bringing our small stroller and baby carrier.

Let me ask in a different way... Which rides / attractions would you do in MK first, with a baby?

That's all I meant, really! Didn't intend to start a topic about strollers...

We've done MK 2 different ways.....

1. If our baby was sleeping when we first got there my husband would run to Fantasyland to FP a ride for the 3 of us to go on when he woke up. I would leisurely stroll with the baby to Frontierland so my husband and I could go on the bigger rides while he napped. I would find a nice spot in the shade to sit, and my husband and I would take turns on the rides.

2. If our baby was awake upon entering the MK, we would reverse what I just wrote, and my husband would run to Frontierland for a FP for later, and the 3 of us would hit up Fantasyland first.

We first took our son at 6 months and we had a blast! Have a great trip

 

[khertz]

DS was a little older for his first trip at a year old, but hopefully my experience can still help yours.

We would always head to Fantasyland first on our MK days, and occasionally collect FP's when we could for the Moutains so we could ride while he was hopefully napping in the stroller. Now with the strict return time of 1 hour for FP, it would probably be better for you to combine FP with Rider Switch. So say you get a FP for Splash Mountain with your ticket, and later DH gets a FP for BTMR with his ticket. When you go to use your Splash FP, bring DS with you up to the CM and tell him you need a rider switch pass. Now you have the RS pass that will act like a FP but you can use it at any time for the rest of the day. So that way if DS wakes up while you are riding and is raring to go, you can take him on something and come back to Splash later for DH to ride with the RS pass. Make sense?

Basically our plan was when DS was awake, we rode the things he could ride also and saved the bigger rides for when he was stroller napping. Worked well for us! And he was a lot more patient then, so even every once in awhile we would take turns riding something while he was awake, he was easy to entertain. Not so much now that he is 2.5!

At that age, there is really not much you need to avoid except the things with height restrictions of course. Even at 12 months, DS was too young to understand enough of what was going on during Haunted Mansion or Pirates to be scared of anything. HM was actually his very first WDW attraction. He enjoyed everything!

We used to baby care centers a lot on our first trip, to give DS some time away from the chaos of the parks to eat, play, get a diaper change, etc.

Definitely at least try the characters and see if DS is afraid. But he will probably again be too young to understand being scared of them, so it's definitely worth trying. The characters LOVE little ones, and character interactions have been some of our very best and most magical moments on our 2 WDW trips with DS.

Hopefully I've given you some of the info you were looking for! Have a great trip!

 

[GiGi30]

Hi all!

So DH and I are heading back to WDW in October... But this time, with our new little baby boy!

He'll be 7 months old by then and I can't wait to introduce him to all things Disney! I know he won't remember his first trip to WDW, but I'm sure he'll still have fun!

In the past, it's been DH and I going commando style all the way through the parks. This time, of course, will be different! I think I know where to start in other parks, but I'm not sure what to do about Magic Kingdom. Clearly Fantasyland has lots of lovely rides for little ones, but is that the best place to go first thing in the morning?

DH and I still plan to do some of the bigger rides (Splash Mountain, etc) - should we get fastpasses first or go straight to Fantasyland?

(I'm sure whatever I plan will get blown out the window with feeds, changes, etc... But it's nice to have some sort of idea before we go!)

Really I'm just wondering how others tackle MK, if you've had a baby with you. I love hearing other people's ideas and opinions!

Expect that this trip will be MUCH different that your non-baby Disney vacations. Here are my suggestions after traveling with an infant to Disney:

1. GET THE NAP IN! Seriously. If you're staying on property, take the wee one back for their naps. They will be less likely to melt down.

2. Use the baby care stations. It's air conditioned, quiet, and an amazing service to moms. They have things you may need - infant items you may have forgotten or suddenly need (at a cost), high chairs, changing tables, restrooms for Mom and Dad, rocking chairs, etc is free. We LOVED this.

3. We took a nice fold-up stroller. I don't like renting the Disney strollers. They're hard and not comfy. Plus, it's nice to fold it up and take it on the monorail. Be sure to make your stroller stand out. We had ours stolen. After that, we had a bright lei from the Polynesian on ours along with our name written in Sharpie. Also, cast members move your strollers when you're in rides and it can be hard to spot yours if a lot of people have the same one.

4. Expect a disaster or two and be pleasantly surprised when it doesn't happen.

5. Extra clothes in the park for you and baby. I got spit up on majorly and had to buy a t-**** in the gift shop.

6. Push fluids. The little one will sweat as much as you and needs to stay hydrated.

7. We use Garden Grocer to have groceries delivered so we can have familiar food for our kids. Eating different stuff all at once can be bad for their tummies.

8. Are you driving or flying? If flying, bring a change of clothes for you and baby in your carry on. Got pooped on mid-flight to Disney and had to wipe it off as I didn't bring me a change of clothes. HAHA!

9. HAVE FUN! Sure, it's extra work when you're taking a little one. He won't remember this trip, but you will. It's a great age since he will be in tune with the stimulating environment. But also expect that finding a quiet place to let him decompress every now and then is beneficial for you and him, too.

 

[fairestoneofall]

one thing that worked great for us was to have a baby carrier. that way, when we were in an area where we couldn't take the stroller (The Land Pavilion, for example), he could be in the carrier. i also put him in the carrier sometimes just to make it easier to get around and to give him a little break from the stroller.

i'd also say to watch the baby's cues. there was one day that Elliot just was NOT having it, so i took him back to the room. he got a great nap in that day (so did I)!

DS was six months old when we went. i just took it slow and easy. if he needed a break, we took one. i will say, he did really great!

 

[tpettie]

My vote is a baby sling our grand baby got to have her first WDW trip carried around in one it was great!
* she slept there and didn't have to be woken to move from attraction to attraction.
* ate there convent for bottle feeding
* Get on and off busses easy
* hand place to have child for meals

all round we were most grateful we brought it. Did have a stroller too but this was by far the easiest.